Why get entangled in a space race when our planet still offers some unexplored destinations waiting to reveal itself to you? Space is still a far-fetched dream for many, but the North Pole is open, and the cherry on the cake is a luxury airship by UK-based Company Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV). The Airlander, a modern reinterpretation of the airship, caught the attention of Carl-Oscar Lawaczeck, a Swedish commercial pilot who desired to revive the exciting days of airship exploration, albeit with all 21st-century comforts and technology. As a result, OceanSky Cruises has taken the course to take you on luxury air cruises on modern airships, all the way to the North Pole and back.
According to the company, HAV’s Airlander 10 aircraft will seat up to 100 passengers and operate with 90% fewer emissions than conventional aircraft. The spacious Airlander 10 measures almost double the length of an average commercial airliner and accommodate everything right from spacious cabins to comfortable-looking armchair-style seats, complete with plump cushions and stunning view. Lawaczeck states, “Airships can carry payloads comparable to that of some airliners, but use only a tiny fraction of the energy to transport them over the same distance.” He continued, “We can go down to 300 feet, even 100 feet if needed, as slow as a bike, to offer our passengers a glimpse of those polar habitats to our passengers.”
Lawaczeck plans to take 16 lucky passengers to the North Pole who will be roomed in eight spacious hotel-like double cabins. The airship will also carry a crew of seven, including a chef. OceanSky’s team will discover several places on the magical Arctic archipelago, with the North Pole Expedition Museum in its capital, Longyearbyen, serving as the base for the air cruise. The 36-hour return trip will turn into the most unforgettable expedition of your life; a six-hour layover will allow you the rare chance of descending right at the North Pole. I wonder what passengers would savor during a picnic on the ice cap? If you thought nothing could come close to the experience of traveling on a superyacht, this is your answer.
An experience like this will come with a hefty price tag of $232,845 for a two-person cabin making OceanSky’s polar trips a luxury afforded by the more prosperous lot. If all goes according to plan, OceanSky envisages its fleet growing to more than 100 airships within ten years, with the target date for the first expedition in 2023 or 2024.
